[Federal Register: May 12, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 91)]
[Notices]
[Page 25319-25320]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12my03-25]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Idaho; Aspen Range Timber Sale/
Vegetation Treatment
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Soda Springs Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee National
Forest will be preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to
analyze the effects of commercial harvest of conifer trees, prescribed
fire, realignment or surface improvement of old roads, and construction
of fuel breaks in the Aspen Range analysis area. The legal description
for this proposal is T. 8 S., R. 43 E., sections 27, 28, 29, 30, 31,
32, 33 and 34. T. 9 S., R. 43 E., sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
11, 17 and 18 of the Boise Meridian, Caribou County.
DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be
received within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice in
the Federal Register. The draft environmental impact statement is
expected October 2003 and the final environmental impact statement is
expected February 2004.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Soda Springs Ranger District, Attn:
David Whittekiend, 421 W. 2nd S., Soda Springs, ID 83276.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions concerning the proposed
action and EIS should be directed to Doug Heyrend, Forester, (208) 547-
4356.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
The primary purpose of the project is to:
[sbull] Provide sawtimber on a sustained-yield basis.
[sbull] Release aspen from competing conifer and convert back to
early seral species.
[sbull] Reduce conifer stand densities to improve vigor.
[sbull] Reduce fuel loads in the project area and stands bordering
residential homes/cabins along the northwest forest boundary of the
Trail Canyon area.
[sbull] Reduce sediment and maintenance on roads in project area.
Proposed Action
The proposal is to tractor harvest 881 acres of Douglas-fir, aspen/
Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine stands using a variety of silviculture
prescriptions. The harvest would be followed by 1,350 acres of
prescribed fire to increase aspen cover types and reduce fuel loads in
the 12,000 acre analysis area. The harvest volume is anticipated to be
about 4.5 million board feet from two timber sales.
Irregular shelterwood/aspen regeneration silvicultural treatments
proposed for 590 acres would be the dominant harvest prescription. The
prescription would provide flexibility for aspen regeneration, snag
preservation, remnant old growth retention and old growth replacement
in situations of Douglas-fir bark beetle mortality. The objective for
aspen regeneration is to incorporate the majority of the aspen clone
for treatment. All aspen treatment areas would use prescribed fire for
fuels treatment and site preparation to simulate the natural
disturbance for aspen vegetative reproduction by suckers. Larger units
that utilize coarse woody debris as barriers increase the success of
aspen regeneration by having better dispersion of wild and domestic
browsing/grazing animals across treated areas. Temporarily fencing
portions of treated areas may be required to ensure regeneration.
Stand improving commercial thinnings and shelterwoods are planned
for 196 acres. The focus of harvest activity would be on removing
suppressed and intermediate trees to provide crown spacing and growing
room (15-30 foot spacing) for residual dominant trees. Natural
regeneration will occur over time but would not be immediately
necessary to meet stocking standards. Machine fuels treatment (piling)
would take place in the 55 acres of shelterwood prescription stands
closest to the archery range and a 39 acre stand in North Sulfur
Canyon. Prescribed broadcast fire would be used for site preparation of
early seral vegetation and fuel treatment on the remaining 102 acres.
The only lodgepole stand planned for harvest is behind the archery
range (this area is under special use permit to the Caribou Archers).
A seedtree/improvement cut is proposed for the 39 acre stand.
[[Page 25320]]
Seedtrees would provide natural regeneration in areas of stand decline
and the improvement cut to ensure visual protection along the archery
range corridor. Site preparation and fuels treatment (piling) for the
stand would be mechanical.
Prescribed broadcast fire would be used in most mechanical
treatments as well as some naturally occurring stands to reduce fuels
and convert vegetation to early seral species. Standing dead and cull
green material is expected to replace down dead woody debris consumed
by broadcast burning. Generally the window for burning in this area is
late spring and early fall depending on weather patterns. Firelines
would be mechanically constructed using as many natural openings, ridge
tops, roads and terrain barriers as possible. The stands adjacent to
the archery range and residential area would be mechanically treated
without a broadcast fire.
A constructed quarter mile fuelbreak along the northwest forest
boundary of the analysis area would meander across the north edge of
the 56 acre stand using as many natural openings and barriers as
possible. The proposal is to remove standing dead, down dead, small
diameter trees, dense brush and provide crown spacing between mature
trees. Pockets of small-diameter conifer encountered within the
fuelbreak would be thinned to 14 to 20 foot spacing, and pruned to
remove ladder fuels.
Heavy equipment will only be used on ground less than 40 percent
slope. Merchantable logs within the fuelbreak on feasible tractor
ground would be skidded up hill to a landing. All unmerchantable
material would be hand or machine piled and burned in the fall
following substantial snow accumulation. Work in the riparian area
would be completed by hand with chainsaws. The stand is not proposed
for broadcast burning.
Two miles of existing old system roads (20574, 20126 & 20297) are
proposed for realignment to decrease ongoing erosion damage,
maintenance costs and to facilitate harvest equipment. Up to 6.2 miles
of existing and constructed temporary road would be required for
harvest activities. All constructed temporary roads and old road
segments that have been replaced with new alignment would be fully
obliterated. Road segments that are currently managed as a multiple use
trails will be retained. A thumb bucket excavator will be used to
obliterate unnecessary roads. Road obliteration would consist of
recontouring slopes, channels and incorporating debris across the prism
followed by seeding with the appropriate native mix.
Short sections of gravel surface replacement would be needed
throughout the sale area.
Responsible Official
The responsible official for this decision is Jerry Reese, Caribou-
Targhee National Forest Supervisor.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
Should timber harvest, road construction, road obliteration, fuel
treatments, vegetation treatments and road management activities be
implemented in the project area at this time, and if so, under what
conditions?
From a variety of site-specific alternatives, based on the
silvicultural needs for portions of stands or entire stands, one
alternative will be selected.
Comment Requested
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Forest
Service invites written comments and suggestions on the issues related
to the proposal and the area being analyzed. Information received will
be used in preparation of the draft EIS and Final EIS. For most
effective use, comments should be submitted to the Forest Service
within 30 days from the date of publication of this Notice in the
Federal Register.
Agency Representatives and other interested people are invited to
visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the EIS process.
Two specific time periods are identified for the receipt of formal
comments on the analysis. The two comments periods are, (1) during the
scoping process, the next 30 days following publication of this Notice
in the Federal Register, and (2) during the formal review of the Draft
EIS.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review
A draft environmental impact statement will be prepared for
comment. The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement
will be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency
publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings,
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the 45 day comment period so that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to
them in the final environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal
and will be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: March 11, 2003.
Jerry B. Reese,
Caribou-Targhee Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 03-11731 Filed 5-9-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
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